BRATISLAVA, July 25, (WEBNOVINY) – In the first half of 2011, Defense Minister Lubomir Galko left employees of his department without bonuses. The reason is critical situation at the ministry, to which its management has been pointing in the long run. “In spite of the fact that many of our employees would without doubts deserve a midyear bonus for their work at the department, we were unable to pay them out,” Galko said.
Last time the MoD employees received bonuses was in the second half of 2010, when some 250 euros per employee were allocated for this purpose. Of the saved funds, 3.6 million euros were used to cover costs of the operation of the armed forces. The funds were thus spent for small all-terrain vehicles, fuel and vehicles insurance. According to Galko, it was better to use these funds for the armed forces in order to secure their proper operation than for pay hikes or bonuses. The rest of the funds went to the employees who fulfilled special tasks, MoD informed.
Hospodarske Noviny published its survey this Monday according to which ten cabinet ministers distributed almost EUR 2 million in midyear bonuses before summer holiday though the state as ordered to save funds. The Transport Ministry argued that bonuses did not achieve even 0.2 percent of the sum that they saved last year. Minister Jan Figel handed out bonuses to almost 600 employees of his department while each got EUR 1,100 on the average. The Finance Ministry distributed even EUR 100 more, which was the highest sum among all departments.
SITA